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Like all high power amplifiers, this unit ideally needs at least two inches of free air space above it, in order to ventilate properly. If you intend to stack it vertically with another unit, it is always best to put the amp on top.

Music streaming via wire is far more reliable than via Wi-Fi. If you can't run an Ethernet cable from your router to this unit, then simply buy a pair of mains Ethernet extenders from Amazon for around £25. They plug into your mains sockets and use the mains wiring in your house as an Ethernet cable - they are brilliant!

Apple AirPlay allows the wireless streaming of music from an iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch to this unit, as long as this unit is connected to the router in your house.

Bluetooth only works reliably if both the sending and receiving units are in the same room.

Black or Silver

Yamaha R-N602 network stereo receiver

The stereo amp that ticks every single connectivity box!

The R-N602 features the same 'old-school' look and feel of the outgoing R-N500, but improves on the old model in three areas, in that it boasts Wi-Fi networking, plus Bluetooth, plus Yamaha's new multi-room solution, called MusicCast. That's quite a feat, when you consider that the 602's SRP is exactly the same as the R-N500 it replaces.

It's also quite a feat when you consider that the out-going R-N500 was arguably the best connected budget stereo amp around and you don’t lose any of those facilities in the R-N602. So you still get 5 analogue inputs, plus four digital inputs (2 x coax + 2 x optical for TV / satellite / games console etc) plus tone controls, plus a balance control, plus a headphone socket, plus speaker switching, plus Apple AirPlay, plus Spotify Connect(Premium account required) plus a front USB port, plus support for DSD up to 5.6MHz, plus a free App, which allows you to control the amp from your smartphone.

The R-N602 ticks absolutely every single ‘connectivity’ box, which is brilliant, with the slight proviso that the circuitry needed to provide streaming, Spotify, AirPlay, MusicCast etc costs money, and consequently this amp does not sound quite as good as (say) a Marantz PM6006, in direct ‘back to back’ listening tests. It all comes down to what you actually need in reality, rather than what you think you need - if you need a streaming amp at this price level, then the choice is straightforward because nothing comes close to a 602. However, if you want the very best sound quality right now and intend to add streaming on later (e.g. via Denon's excellent HEOS link) then the Marantz PM6006 is the right choice for you.